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IWA- Action Days: Rally! Hands off Social Rights!

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 00:01

The struggle for power between different political groups, as expected, didn`t give solutions to the most pressing social problems of workers in Russia. Elections come and go, but our situation isn`t changed for the better.

We obtain the lowest wages and pensions in Europe. The prices of essential commodities and of all necessary services (housing and communal services, transportation etc.) rising continually. The "law of the state-owned institutions" (FL-83) is introduced which finally takes the health, education and child care on a commercial ground, and makes them more and more unaffordable for ordinary workers and pensioners. The ?single state examination? at the end of school study, due to overall corruption, favors students whose parents have fat wallets. The workers in enterprises and institutions are completely powerless: the 8-hour workday is, in fact, canceled in many enterprises and institutions; the right to organize trade unions in a large part of firms simply does not exist; the ability to strike is reduced almost to zero, and the workers and social activists are persecuted for their convictions and dismissed for attempts to defend their interests (the practice of "ban on the profession"). The migrant workers are completely deprived of any rights at all.

However, this is not enough for the authorities and capitalists. They are preparing new anti-social measures. Some new reforms are proposed: a pension reform (with rising of retirement age in spite of a low average life expectancy in the country), a reform of labour laws (with removal of restrictions on working hours, freedom of layoffs, etc.). The sphere of paid medicine and education extends even more. Our social rights are being cut every day, every hour!

The attack on workers goes on all fronts. It is not by chance coincides with the global attack of governments and businesses on the working people for forcing them under the banner of "austerity" to pay for the crisis of the current system: in Spain and Greece, France and Italy, Portugal and Britain, Kazakhstan and Belarus ... The rulers of all countries and companies not only climb into our pockets. They infringe on our human dignity. Instead, they cynically offer us even more work for them, simultaneously tightening debt noose around our neck with the help of banks.

From 29 to 31 March 2012, the International Workers Association (IWA), the global association of independent self-governing and militant workers unions, organizes days of action against the capitalist austerity measures, exploitation and oppression, with an emphasis on global, regional and local issues, labour disputes, etc. These manifestations coincide with a general strike in Spain on March 29, with the day of action and solidarity with a comrade from Union of Syndicalists of Poland dismissed from the "Roche Poland" and with the European day of action against capitalism, March 31 (M31), organized by the militant workers unions in Germany, Italy and Spain.

The members of the section of the International Workers Association (IWA) in Russia informed the Moscow government about the intention to organize on March 31 a protest rally against the social and economic policies in Russia from 15.00 to 16.30 at the metro station "Ulitsa 1905". We encourage independent community-based initiatives and social movements to participate in the rally to speak on it, and to tell about the experience and perspectives of resistance against the attack on our rights. The rally is open to workers, pensioners and students. We ask to abstain from any political, electoral or party`s campaigning and party`s flags and slogans during this rally (the flags of social and community initiatives, trade unions, etc. are allowed).

NO TO SOCIAL CUTS!
RIGHT TO LIFE! NOT A RIGHT TO PROFIT!
ONLY IN UNITED MASS STRUGGLE WE CAN OBTAIN OUR RIGHT!